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There was some video footage of Anna Nicole's baby girl, Dannielynne I saw on ET a few days ago. And I was wondering if anyone else noticed the several no-no's I saw, too. You probably didn't think twice about it if you are not pregnant, about to give birth, or a mom already, but it's pretty much engraved in your head once you're pregnant that once your baby is born, you should always place it on it's BACK to sleep. BACK to sleep campaign, anyone? As well, you should remove the bumbers from the crib, and not cover the baby in a blankie. (Rather, you should swaddle the baby until he or she is old enough to be covered by a blanket). Putting your baby to sleep on their back will reduce the risk of SIDS. And having your baby sleep in a crib without stuffed animals and bumpers and blankies will also reduce their risk of SIDS. Well, the baby girl, Dannielynn, who is just 5 months old, was shown sleeping on her tummy, in a crib, surrrounded by stuffed animals, covered in thick blankets, with frilly bumpers very close to her head. In a pink frilly nightie! I mean, hello? Was no one around to notice all the hazards? With her family's track record, I think someone should be taking better care of her! Where was her nanny? Didn't she know the dangers in this? Especially putting her to sleep on her tummy? Yes, 'back in the day' no one knew it was bad and everyone put their child to sleep on their tummy but that is also why the risk of SIDS was so much higher then. We know better now! And I really hope someone mentioned this to the baby's caregivers. (I'm guilty of having the bumpers in Christos's crib, however he did not sleep in his crib until he was 8 or 9 months old, and at that point in time, I lowered the bumpers so there was always a clear air passage. Now, he is a king and sleeps with an adult sized pillow, but anyway!) Back to the baby I'm talking about - I was shocked when I saw that on TV! Someone, put her on her back and take out all the stuffed animals in her crib!

Why are the Conservative's the only party who care about Canadians enough to want to keep the anti-terror act? The two anti-terror measures that were made as part of Canada's response to 9/11 will expire tomorrow. Opposition parties thought they were an 'unnecessary infringement on civil liberties'. Yet again, the criminal/terrorist has more rights then the innocent people! This really makes me mad! Come on, Dion... you are a terrible leader and this will not help you in the next elections. If you have nothing to hide and are guilty of nothing, why the fear? Seriously. I'd rather take my shoes off, have my water taken away from me, and know that if someone was considered a terrorists suspect they would NOT be given the benefit of the doubt and be allowed to board the same airplane as me and my child. Seriously! Harper predicts the Liberals will be defeated in the next election because of their refusal to back his extension - and I hope he's right. He went on to say: "Any party that doesn't take the national security of Canadians seriously will never be chosen by Canadians to form the goverment of Canada". Agree! Maureen Basnicki, whose husband, Ken, was one of the Canadians killed in New York, said earlier a rejection would seriously diminish Canada's capacity to fight terrorism. "We want to protect other Canadians from the devastation that we experienced".

"This issue is not going to go away. It's going to haunt the Liberal Party from now until the election campaign," Harper said.

Another election is possible for this spring. Get ready for the political posts, folks...

Sleepless nights... a common reality for most moms. My son is usually a very good sleeper, going to bed around 10 p.m. and waking up between 7 and 8 a.m. He has a great routine. I don't mind that he goes to bed at 10, because since I get off work at 4, I get to spend 6 hours with him! So it's amazing. But last night, he woke up at midnight, crying, and very hot. I was immediately concerned, of course. He was very sad and did not know what he wanted and me and my hubby tried to comfort him and eventually he fell back asleep again, but you could tell it wasn't the most peaceful sleep. I was worried right away, thinking he might be coming down with something, or maybe he has a fever, or what if it is another UTI? I panicked, and seriously did not close my eyes until 3 a.m. I worry way more then I should. I would not take his temperature for fear that he might have had a fever. I slept beside him the whole night. Eventually, he fell into a deep sleep and as of this a.m. he is A-Okay, according to my grandmother. So, phew... the mommy worry is insane. I think on nights like that that I can't go through it all again with baby number 2. But these nights are so few and far between, I know it's just my brain on lack of sleeping talking. But seriously - after having gone through what we have with CHEO visits in the middle of the night and staying in CHEO for days on end, I have a right to be extra worried and panicked. I'm on 4 hours of sleep and although I'm super tired, am releived to know my little boy is feeling good! Maybe he had a tummy ache, or a bad dream, or maybe it was a tooth coming in that was bugging him... anyway... hugs to all the moms out there who know what I'm talking about and who have been through this before.

What else is new, right? I bought the new Shopaholic book - I'll let you know how it is tomorrow after I finish reading it tonight. (That is, if my baby doesn't go to bed at 11 p.m.) And I have to say, there is this one cashier at Chapters who is so damn nice! I'm standing in line, and he goes: "Hi, beautiful!" How nice is that! When I first met him, I wasn't sure if he was a he or a she, but came to the realization that he was in fact a he. He's super nice, and loves to talk to me about designer purses. That's how he started talking to me, actually, "OMG - I LOVE your Fendi!" And hey, it's a great day outside, too! The sun is shining, and it's not too cold and next week we have the time change so the sun will be out shining even later then usual... finally! Well, time to go pick up my boy from my in-laws... have a great night everyone!

TMZ.com is reporting that Britney Spears may in fact be suffering from post-partum depression, like I thought. Sources to TMZ say doctors at her rehab think the reason she is so troubled as of late is because of PPD. They have 2 theories - one is that she has PPD, or she has bipolar disorder, but they strongly believe PPD is the reason for her recent crazy behaviour. Supposedly, Britney is reading Brooke Shields' book, Down Came The Rain, which talks about her struggles with PPD when her first child was born.

Posh is in talks to have her own reality show about her family moving to America. I'd watch it - only to see her in action as a mom - she seems so stiff and boring and I really want to see her get down and dirty!

American Idol is on tonight - the boys sing. Tomorrow, the girls sing. Thursdsay, someone goes home. Also on the tube tomorrow night - American's Next Top Model. Yet again... and I'll probably watch, if I find the time. So I can hear Tyra say the same things over and over again... and there is no new The Office this Thursday. Tear. But hey - did I mention that Rob and Amber came in first again on All-Stars TAR? GO ROB AND AMBER!

Larry Birkhead finally got to see his (supposed) daughter. He fed her, burped her, and got thrown up on. Just like any other baby-daddy team! Anyway, it is clearly obvious, when you look at Dannielynn, that she is Larry's little girl. They look identical! And Howard K. Stern just doesn't seem like a good guy - who in their right mind would videotape their 8 month pregnant girlfriend/wife when they are high as a kite? Who would allow a pregnant woman to be high and on drugs in the first place? And to say: "This footage is going to be worth a lot of money." I mean, seriously? If you haven't seen the video of Anna with a clown face yet, look it up. It's scary and sad and makes you really question Howard. I don't believe he is the father of this baby. Larry said, about seeing Daninelynn: "She's mine. That's my baby. She looks like me - she is mine.' And there was not a doubt." I hope he gets custody of her soon. He's already missed so much... and now Anna's body is still not allowed to go to Bahamas to R.I.P beside her son... her mother has filed an appeal and a Florida court issued a stay yesterday in the dispute over Anna's body. How crazy is this woman?

In other news, here is a picture of baby Shiloh... looking as cute as ever, as gorgeous as you would think a Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie creation would be:

And Shakira and Beyonce's new song is set to hit the airwaves soon! It will probably be a hit song this summer.

No news on Britney... so that's a good thing, because she is in rehab getting better.

As most of you know, my son and I entered the Place D'Orleans photo contest in November in hopes of winning the 'right face for the right place' Christmas advertising campaign - and scoring 2,500 dollars in Place D'Orleans gift certificates. (Well, I had no intention of entering the contest - I only wanted my son to enter, but the photographer made me get in the picture, too, so I did. I guess they were looking for more of a family shot). Anyway... thanks to our friends and other nice people who voted for our picture online, we won! Sadly, I'm officially down to our last 50 dollars. Yup, our winnings have been spent! And I have actually not bought a single thing for myself! We did do some Christmas shopping, and of course the usual diapers, wipes, baby food, formula, and basically bought out Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's. But I did not splurge on myself at all! I guess I'm truly a mom, huh? And with 50 dollars left, what can I possibly buy for myself? What should I spend the last 50 bucks on?

Here is the winning picture that was on the side of buses for over a month and in bus shelters. It was so nice driving to work in the mornings and seeing my baby's face smiling back at me! And for all of you out there who wanted to enter but didn't - you still have a chance, because if I am not mistaken, they will be running the same contest again in the spring! So enter! You have nothing to lose!

I guess the word of the day for me is: amazing. My son is simply amazing. He amazes me every single day. I guess after 18 months, they just take off and become these little people, with such amazing personalities. My baby boy is growing up so fast! Climbing on chairs, looking out of the window, saying bye-bye to the moon, reading his books (and I'm not kidding when I say he had a huge interest in books at the young age of 3 months old, when he was in CHEO) feeding himself - or trying to, anyway! It's so precious to see him take his little spoon or fork and bring it up to his mouth, looking at me with such happyness, like, "Look, mommy!" The way he runs up to me for hugs and kisses. The way he says 'shhh' and puts his finger to his lips... and the way he says 'hmmmmm' and taps his finger under his chin like I do, when I'm thinking of something. Oh, the joy and the amazement he brings me every second of every day! He loves to dance... and I love to watch him dance. It's the cutest thing. Babies are such amazing little things, and I cherish being a mom so much. I love all children, seeing them expand their minds, interact with one another, grow, learn, talk, run, cry in frustration... everything they do is amazing. Who cares if I am tired at the end of the day? My goodness! My baby is keeping me young! I'm playing again! I'm running around, laughing, giggling, having sleepovers every night - in my son's room - yes, I still sleep in my son's room and there is nothing wrong with that. (For the most part) I love sleeping with him and my hubby will still be there for me when I decide to go back to my big girl bed. But for now... sleeping with my child is amazing and I love it. He's also such a big help! He loves it when we vacuum (we have to do this a few times a day) and he vacuums, too! And dusts! OH, he loves to organize and clean and fold and put things in their place. God bless him! And all babies! They are all simply... amazing.

What is your opinion on this story? An 11 year old Ottawa girl was told she could not play in her soccer tournament unless she removed her hijab. She was told the head scarf was a physical threat to the other players. (Her coach proceeded to pull out the entire team and forfeit the tournament). Seeing as the ref was a Muslim himself, I hardly doubt it had to do with racism. When we play volleyball, we are asked to remove all our jewellery - I take off my cross that I wear around my neck, and my wedding band and engagement ring, as well as other jewellery. I don't question whether the ref has something against me being Greek Orthodox. I do think it's stupid that I have to take off my necklace and rings, (what damange can be done if I wear them?) but because I want to play volleyball, I listen to the ref. We even have to take out our earrings, as small as they may be. So I see the ref's point in asking this girl to remove her head scarf, which I can see causing far more damage than jewellery. And I don't think it is racist at all. What do you think?

Britney got to see her children this weekend while in rehab. Supposedly K.Fed brought the boys to Malibu's Promises on Saturday. (I also read that her mom brought them and then the kids went to K.Fed's house, but anyway - she saw her kids!) If K.Fed did, in fact, bring the kids to Promises, it would have been his second visit to Britney in 3 days. He visited with her on Friday, sans children. Hopefully she's getting better. Hopefully seeing her children will help her through this. What a shame it is for her to miss even one day, one night, with her children. I love being the one who feeds, bathes, and tucks in my baby every night. Hence the reason I hardly go out - nothing comes close to being with my baby at night and having our little routine! It is too bad she is missing those moments.

Because the actual award show was boring this year (and maybe that had something to do with the fact that I only had the chance to watch 1 Oscar nomiated movie, Little Miss Sunshine, which was great, but not that great) I decided to talk about who the top 3 best-dressed were last night and who was the most deserving winner.

Reese Witherspoon! Wow, she looked GORGEOUS! Amazing, a lot better then last year. Divorce did her good! (I'm still really sad about that, though...)

Nicole Kidman! She never does wrong... she is strikingly beautiful.

Jennifer Lopez. Very pretty! Her dress looked very maternity. I wonder if she is pregnant?

Stole this from Dani... (www.momm-eh.blogspot.com) So, what American accent do you have? I wish I had gotten the south! Oh, well...

What American accent do you have?

Your Result: North Central

"North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.

Britney's dad says Britney is a "sick little girl... we're just trying to take care of her." He went on to say that Britney's problems are "not what other people think" and that they're concerned about her.

Here's hoping she lasts through the weekend in rehab and makes a full recovery so she can be with her babies.

My little sister turns 24 this Sunday! Wow! So young... anyway I just wanted to wish GG the best birthday ever and many, many more! She's the world's best aunt, coming over every night to play with Christos. He loves her too, big 'mwah' from Christos G! Here's a picture of my lovely sister with her lovely lady posse. Ah, to be 24 again... we'll celebrate lots on Saturday night!

P.S. My sister is currently at work with CONDI RICE! On the same floor... she says there are snipers everywhere and it's craziness at DFAIT right now!

As a mom, you experience a lot of 'scary moments'. Moments that you can't stop thinking about after, thinking 'what if?' You're always told: never leave your baby unattended on the change table, never leave your baby alone on your bed, and always stay near your baby when they are in the bath. Well, I have done all of that. I've never left Christos alone on his change table, except to step to the side to grab a pair of pj's, but my hands are always on him. And as soon as he was able to roll onto his tummy or move around, he was never alone on our bed. And in the bath, I'm always, always, always there beside him, practically in the tub myself. The other day Christos wanted to take out the rubber mat that is in the bathtub so he could slide around easier. "Okay", I thought, "I'm right here, he won't slip." Well, 2 seconds later, he slips and goes under the water... completely covered in water, since the tub was filled to the top. I could see him looking up at me with such fear in his eyes, swallowing water. While the moment did not last longer then a second, it felt like an eternity. I moved lightning speed to scoop up my darling boy, and he coughed and coughed and was perfectly fine. Thank God. That had to be one of the scariest moments I have experienced as a mother. The heart-stopping-stomach-dropping-dizzy-room-spinning-palms-sweating-feeling you only experience after having a child. I now know better than to ever remove the rubber mat again! (Yes, they are a pain to clean, but they are also a life-saver!) I felt a bit better about the incident after speaking to lots of moms who say they very same thing has happened to them... some say it happens all the time! But still, if you're a mom, you know the fear I'm talking about, and you know that no matter how careful you are, accidents do happen and our hearts will beat again, after the intial shock and fear subside.

Okay happy Friday, ya'll! Temps will be going up to minus 1 on Sunday, so hoorah! for that. Did you all manage to watch some good TV last night? I ACCIDENTALLY DID NOT RECORD THE OFFICE. And I want to cry, because I just found out a new episode will NOT BE ON FOR ANOTHER 6 WEEKS! OMG. Tear. AND I found out that Pam broke up with her boyfriend, and Jim is totally going to leave Karen soon and now that Pam's ex knows that Jim hearts Pam he says he's going to kill Jim. Can't wait to see that the two of them in the same room, with Jim declaring his love for Pam.

Saw some AI. 4 people left. Good people stayed.

Grey's Anatomy. Did not cry. Don't know why. Have seen more emotional shows. Even on Grey's, before. Of course it was super predictable. Of course she did not die. Duh.

Did not watch The O.C. Oh, well.

I LOST 1.5 POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!! Hoorah! I didn't think I lost anything this week. So yay for that.

So, what will his decision be? While I have serious doubts about Howard K. Stern, (I don't really think he is the father of Anna Nicole's baby girl, and I think he did nothing to stop Anna from taking meds before, during, and after her pregnancy) I think he is in the right by saying Anna wanted to be buried in the Bahamas, where she lived, next to her son, whom she loved. I mean, she DID buy a plot beside him. So that is where she should R.I.P. Her mom, on the hand, has no say in where she should be buried... Texas? She wanted (apparantly) nothing to do with Texas, and she did not get along with her mom. From interviews with Anna Nicole, you could see her blood boiling when she talked about her mom. So I hope the judge decides to let Anna rest beside her beloved son. I will update as soon as www.TMZ.com does! So stay tuned!

UPDATE: (From www.TMZ.com)With tears in his eyes, Judge Larry Seidlin has ruled that the disposition of Anna Nicole's body will be determined by Richard Milstein, the guardian ad litem of Dannielynn Stern in consultation with the three parties, and should go to the Bahamas, and will be with her son.

If you haven't gone online and voted yet, you really should! The results will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal this July. Help decide what the new 7 wonders of the world should be! I really think the Parthanon should be one of the 7, but I'm Greek so of course I'd say that! (But seriously, it is stunning and amazing so make sure to vote for that) I also think Petra should win, and The Pyramid at Chichén Itza. (And I'll never live down the fact that we had a chance to see Chichén Itza during one of our stops on our cruise, but instead I made my hubby go sit on a gross beach for the day so I could tan. Big, huge mistake on my part!) I also picked Hagia Sophia. So go vote and have fun!

Wow! Here's hoping my baby goes to bed before 10 tonight... (not going to happen) I have a lot of TV watching to do, which will likely take place from 11 p.m. into the wee hours of the morning. Here's what is on the tube tonight for anyone who cares:

- The final ever episode of The O.C. OMG! Sad. - The Office. Always funny. Always great.- Grey's Anatomy. Can't wait to see how they bring Meredith back from the dead!- American Idol - 2 girls and 2 boys are going home. The girls did great last night! Well, some of them did great. Others just looked great and sounded bad. I liked Jordan, Sabrina, Melinda, Gina and of course - LaKisha. I hope she wins!

... in other celebrity news, Trista and Ryan are finally pregnant! So congrat to them. Oh, and Christina Aguilera is not pregnant as was the rumour. And Marcia Cross gave birth to twin girls.

... and here is a new picture of Jessica advertising her shoes. She looks goood!

...in rehab. I hope she stays there this time. Supposedly her mom dropped her off today, and she met with K Fed last night to talk about the kids... he'll be looking after them while she's getting better. And I do hope she gets better, for her kid's sake. Apparantly she tried to kill herself over the weekend, too. Wow, she needs help in a big way. In the grand scheme of things, who cares about Britney Spears when there is so much suffering and pain going on around the world... but still... she is a person who is obviously very troubled for whatever reason. I hope she can find the healing she needs and get back to being a good mommy to her two little boys. And come out with an album. And grow her hair back.

... and help save your life! Cherries are, as you know, yummy and now reports show that they're really, really good for you too. The cherry has become one of the most powerful new antioxidant superfruits, according to an article I just read. "Everyting from cancer fighting properties to aid for those suffering from arthritis and gout, not to mention a natural melatonin to help you sleep, is available in this bright, tiny ball of tart flavour". The first-ever Cherry Nutrition Report was released and scientists, researchers, nutritionists and more were all in agreement that cherries are really good for us! They have some of the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants compareed to other fruits. So next time you go out, make sure to have your dessert with a cherry on top!

- the most exciting email you get in a day is the one from your mom telling you that your baby pooed! Yay!- even when your baby is no longer in the room, the TV is still on Treehouse.- you sing really loud and act really silly in public i.e. Loblaws, Chapters, Starbucks because it makes your baby laugh.- you no longer go to the movies every week.- you don't really care that you don't go to the movies anymore.- your old jeans still don't fit you... 18 months later.- you only talk about your child.- every 'non-parent' issue seems boring and like, soooo not an issue anymore!- you wonder why you're working and not at home with you child (until you remember how expensive diapers and formula are).- your magazine subsriptions are no longer to US Weekly and Glamour, but to Parents and Today's Parent.- you don't mind sticking a bibila (Greek for soother/binky) in your mouth after it falls on the floor before giving it back to your child.- you understand why parents talk in weeks and months.- you have counted ounces more then anything you've ever counted before.- your heart wants to explode with love - you understand why co-sleeping rocks

Ooops, she did it again... she checked out of rehab... why? What is going on with Britney? Her poor little boys...

UPDATE: from www.perezhilton.com:

This is still unconfirmed, but we just received a tip that Britney Spears is at an office building in West Hollywood RIGHT NOW (9119 Sunset Blvd, which is near the Chateau Marmont, where another source told PerezHilton.com Britney was at earlier today).

Spears it apparently at the law office of Barry Tarlows (a defense attorney) wearing her 2 dollar blonde wig with a brown hat and some brown haired assistant-looking girl.

No clue what she's doing there.

Update: Britney is reportedly "flipping out" because Kevin Federline won't let her see their two boys, sources tell us.

I don't want to be mean... but. Over the last few months, since changing offices and working on Queen Street, I have seen some pretty hideous fashion faux-pas. I mean, I could write a book on how many "Don't" I see on a daily basis. I'd give Glamour Magazine a run for their money, let me tell you. I don't want to be mean... but. I wonder what people think, sometimes, when they head out the door? I mean, today, for instance, I saw a lady where a tight, short jacket with the words "Ski-doo" on the back. With short (just above the ankle) tight grey-ish pants. With thick black socks. And 3-inch black-ish bridesmaid shoes (circa 1982). With a tight, terrible perm. Eating a bag of Zesty Doritos and a 2 litre diet pepsi - at 10 a.m. I mean, really. It was hideous. And I don't want to be mean. Maybe you hate what I'm wearing today, but I don't know, I try to look a little presentable everyday, even on 5 hours of sleep, even feeling sick, even if I'm so cold all I want to wear to work is my purple flannel pj's. (I know, ewww... but still, they keep me warm!) And then I saw a lady wearing a short black leather jacket, with red plaid pants that had all these zippers on them... some were opened, some were zipped up, it was just so weird. Okay that's it, I'll stop now because trust me, I could go on and on and on but like I said, I really don't want to be mean. But this building could sure use a "What Not To Wear" intervention!

This is a very tragic story and the death of this two year old girl could have been avoided had the mother not left her alone in the car. Even though she was with her 6 year old brother, they are just kids. Just wanted to share this story, be careful with your children and don't let the same mistake happen to you. I feel terrible for the entire family.

CALGARY — The death of a toddler caught in a power window of a running SUV has experts warning parents not to leave their children alone in vehicles.The two-year-old girl died Tuesday morning after her mother left the toddler and her six-year-old brother in the Chevrolet Blazer while she ran an errand.As the investigation continues, charges could be laid against the mother, although police said the incident was a “very sad and tragic accident.”“We all feel it right away in the pit of our stomachs,” said Calgary police duty inspector Luch Berti. “It’s tough to (point) a finger.”The six-year-old brother heard the girl crying in the back seat and released her from her seatbelt, police said.The boy then fell asleep and the tot began playing with the power windows and somehow became stuck.A passerby heard the girl crying for her mother and walked up to the Blazer, realized the girl was stuck and freed her from the window.The passerby placed her back in the car seat then ran into the nearby building to call for help.Meanwhile, the mother returned to the vehicle, buckled both children back in their seats and drove away, believing her youngest was sleeping.“She strapped the two-year-old into the car seat,” said Berti. “She just thought the child was sleeping.”After dropping the boy off at school, about 10 minutes after the toddler had become caught in the window, the mother noticed the girl was unresponsive.“She tapped the young one’s foot and realized something was definitely wrong,” said Berti.The mother phoned 911 and was told to pull over and wait for help.Police officers attempted CPR. Paramedics and firefighters took over as police blocked traffic to get her to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.While the incident could not have been predicted, Berti said it serves as a “unfortunate, tragic reminder” that children should never be left unattended in a vehicle.“We need to be more mindful of that,” he said, adding children will find anything to amuse themselves while waiting.Former police officer Samantha Wilson, who founded Kidproof Canada, said it’s important not to blame the mother because she’s already paid the ultimate price, but it’s important that parents learn from the mistake.“There’s no reason you should ever have to leave children of this age alone in a vehicle. Parents should remember that if you wouldn’t leave your children alone in a house, you shouldn’t leave your kids alone in a car,” Wilson said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper scores high marks with Canadians for his leadership.

A new Globe and Mail/CTV poll found 36% of voters think Harper is the best federal leader for the job. Liberal Leader Stephen Dion is far back of Harper at just 18%, while N.D.P Leader Jack Layton was third with 16%.

Harper also was tops with voters when asked which leader is the most decisive. Harper garnered 53% of the vote, compared with 20 for Layton and 19 for Dion.

Well... good luck, I guess? Will she get to see her children? What a tough time it must be for her... but she did do it to herself, you know. I don't know how as a mother to 2 little boys she could do this, but anyway, I guess there's some hope. Hope she comes back stronger and happier.

"Britney Spears has voluntarily checked herself into an undisclosed rehab facility today. We ask that the media respect her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time."

I just wanted to share this awesome funny rap from my all time favourite blogger, Rebecca. Everything I read on her blog is so real, so awesome, so inspiring, and she just rocks and is an awesome mommy, and an awesome writer. So here you go! And make sure to visit her blog: www.girlsgonechild.blogspot.com

"It's Hard Out There For a Wife." (Reluctant Housewife, this one's for you.)

It's hard out there for a wife (this i know)SAH, married with kidz is a tough life (this i know)Yeah it's hard out there for a wife (this i know)Holdin' it togethez can bring quite a lot of strife (this i know)

We got station wagon payments and mad co-pays for the 'TricianWe got kids that pull our hair while we be baking in the kitchenChanging diapers, bathing babies, and our tits be like fast foodWe gots to keep our minds in order and our bodies in the mood.Done seen wifeys pull their hair outDone seen wifeys just break downDone seen wifeys run a screamingDown the lamp-lit streets of town

Keeping pretty out in public, workin' part-time on the sideWalking dogs and burping babies from the backseat of our ride.Being married with a kid or two is real rough on the backBut finding time for a massage, for real, girl, are you wack?

Martha Stewart is a felon and Desperate Housewifes rock the mikeBut fuck those stupid bitches, that aint really how its like.Terri Hatcher isn't married and Martha Stewart lives aloneWith a staff of eighty pool boys and a platinum mobile phone.Done seem Mommies calm as cucum's,Done seem Mommies hard as pavement,Done seem Mommies who got peed onWork it like a fashion statement.

It's hard out there for a wife (raise the roof)Staying home, married with kids is a tough life (new baby toof!)Yeah it's hard out there for a wife (no self-tanner)Holdin' it together can bring quite a lot of strife (thanks for the banner.)

Just wanted to remind everyone to go get a birthday card and mail it to:

SHANEC/O KISS FM2001 Thurston Dr.Ottawa ON, K1G6C9

This little boy is battling a serious form of cancer and his wish is to recieve the most birthday cards ever. He's already received thousands, so keep 'em coming, guys! If you go to any Hallmark store and buy Shane a birthday card, they will give you 50% off. Also, you can take your kids to Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's and they can make their own cards for Shane and the store will send the cards to Shane. You can also drop off your cards at any Starbucks location. It's just a simple little thing you can do make this little cute boy very, very happy.

Okay... the Oscars are on this Sunday! (Same day as my sister's 24th birthday, but I'm sure I'll post about that seperately!) Usually the Oscars are a very big deal for me. Especially since I am a huge movie buff and see all the nominated movies beforehand. (Chicago, American beauty, Crash...) But this year, I have not seen ANY OSCAR NOMINATED MOVIES. And the Oscars are on SUNDAY. So I was thinking... on Friday, instead of going to work, I should check in to the hotel across the street and watch Babel, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Departed. At least then I won't feel so left out come Oscar night. But chances are if I were to check in to the hotel across the street, I'd fall into a deep, deep sleep. See, I'm very, very tired. Christos went to bed at 11:30 p.m. last night. I went to bed after midnight - housework never ends - and woke up at 6 a.m. Yesterday, I was also up around 6 a.m. and did not stop moving until after midnight. I'm. Very. Tired. So maybe I should give myself a break and go sleep for 7.5 hours on Friday at the hotel across the street... would that be so very bad? I know it won't happen, though... I have such bad mommy guilt, even when I'm home and hubby tells me to sleep in or take a nap and he'll hang with baby, I can't do it. To top things off... I am sick... sore throat, headache, a yucky cold (see picture below of what it actually looks like). Christos is sick too... runny nose... sneezing... poor little guy! But otherwise, he's just full of energy and just as playful, so yay for that. Winter sucks! And oh yeah... All-Stars TAR is on Sunday as well... thank God for PVR! You know, I think I will rent Little Miss Sunshine and watch at least that movie before Sunday. If I can only find the time...

OMG... we were sooooo close to winning our volleyball game last night, it's not even funny! We KICKED ASS! Seriously! We even won one set... woohoo! I think we will win our last game in two weeks. We did great! (Not so much me... but you all did great!) Yeah, I can serve, so thank goodness for that otherwise I'd be better off sitting on the sidelines as a cheerleader! Anyway, way to go, girls, here's hoping we will win our last game and who knows - maybe we'll surprise the other teams during playoffs?

I'm soooo not going to buy these, but they are funny! Perhaps I could use the pee and poo dolls as an incentive to help toilet train my baby?Pee and poo are not as gross as the giant microbe stuffed animals I saw at Tiggy Winkle's this weekend, though - I saw these fuzzy dolls that were: the common cold, ringworm, sore throat, the flu, ebola, stomach ache, dust mite, bed bug, bad breath, cough and ear ache. Each 5x7 'doll' is accompanied by an image of the real microbe it represents, as well as information about the microbe. (FYI - the blue fuzz thing is a picture of the common cold, in case you were wondering). Ewwww!

Did you know that M.A.C has teamed up with Mattel and they are releasing a make-up line for ladies based on Barbie? How fun! Just in time for summer! I'm all for another shade of pink lip-gloss! I'm soooo going to buy the Malibu Barbie and Fashion Pack lipgloss! Moth Brown and Magic Dust eyeshadow, I'm all over, too. Your thoughts?

I had a great weekend! I really wish I worked part-time, because every second I spend with my son is simply amazing. Can I say, again, how 18 and 1/2 months is the very best age? My son has the most wonderful little personality... he is so amazing, the way he does things, how he gives kisses and hugs, and dances and sings, and his laugh... OMG... I could die happy just hearing him laugh... and the way he goes around cleaning, helping, talking... the words are just coming out now, he tries to say everything, and he understands everything, too. He amazes me and keeps me young. Even though I've aged in worry and lack of sleep over the last 18 1/2 months...

My uncle and little cousin were up from D.C. for the weekend. Christos and Antony (who is 6 years old) got along so well! Christos was giving him a tour of the house, showing him all the rooms, his toys, the washer and dryer... it was adorable! We hung out, and went to the Children's Museum... if you live in Ottawa and have kids - you really should go! We go all the time, it's great. "Passport to Adventure" it's called, and children get a little passport and visit different countries around the world... Greece, Italy, India, Mexico, Egypt, etc... hands on activities, just so much fun!

So I've been working at this new job since December 5th, I believe. And every single day - no word of a lie - my manager eats McDonald's for breakfast. I can only assume this is not very healthy. We're talking an egg mcmuffin and hash browns and soft drinks and for the most part, at least a few days a week, he also gets McDonald's for lunch. He is not obese. But this cannot be good for his heart. I mean, I am not KIDDING you, it's been EVERY DAY for 3 months! Will this go on forever? I am in shock... can you believe this?

All-Stars Amazing Race was on last night, and I watched most of it after baby went to bed at 10:30. It was great! I wish some other familiar faces were back like Jonathan and Victoria because they were just way too funny and B.J. and Tyler, but I am just glad Rob and Amber are back. I couldn't stand them on Survivor and now, they're my favourite team. Probably because they piss everyone off and it makes me laugh. So go, Rob and Amber, and yay for coming in 1st... YET AGAIN! (Let the fights begin, Zafy...)

Went out for a delish dinner on Saturday night... totally did not count my WW points on Saturday, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that... a cheat day once a week is very necessary for my sanity!

VOLLEYBALL TONIGHT! Here's hoping we win... 2nd last game before the playoffs!

Britney, I'm no longer a slave for u.... you are toxic... sometimes I wonder if perhaps this will make you stronger, but I doubt it. You don't see how luckyyou are - you had it all - family, fame and fortune! You drive me crazy... don't you ever look at the girl in the mirror and wonder where she is? Did you feel overprotected? Even if you don't likeboys anymore, and you're thinking you don't know what it's like to be me, you are simply just outrageous. Maybe you'll come back as a brave new girl, proving us wrong... I hope so, Brit... 'cause lately, everytime I see a picture of you it makes me sad. I know you think "I've just begun to have my fun" but enough already! What is the answer? I don't know. "My prerogative", you're thinking, and maybe you're right. But right now, I really think your mommy needs to hit you baby, one more time.

Sad news... the Hershey's chocolate factory in Smiths Falls is closing... OMG! I so loved going there! Taking a tour, and stocking up in bulk with my favoutite Hershey's chocolate.... and I am sad that I won't be able to take my son there now! He would have loved it, seeing how much he enjoys chocolate already!

I'm sorry, but she is way too scary looking. Never smiling, never happy. Eat something! Seriously! Have a plate of spaghetti and meatsauce... and then have a slice of cheesecake a la mode, with french vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. You'll feel better. You don't look healthy! (Still baffled how she has had 3 children... where did they fit???) Anyway... snobby little Posh spice! Go play in the sand with your kids! Kick the ball around with David. Smile! Sheesh...

Happy Friday, everyone! Just thought I'd share this picture with you. As you can see, my son likes winter as much as I do. It took me about an hour to get him in his snowsuit, hat, gloves, scarf, and boots. I sweated off like, 1000 calories while doing it, took him outside, stood him in the snow, and all the while... he didn't want to be outside! What a smart boy! Who in their right mind would want to be outside in minus 30 degrees weather, anyway? I just thought it was the right 'mom' thing to do, you know? Fresh air, enjoying the winter... well bah! Winter is not for us Europeans!

Yesssssssssssssssss! My car radio is fixed and working again! Thank you daddy! Thank you! Now I don't have to die of silence on my car ride home today. And I can stop singing out of tune to my son in the car to entertain him/keep him awake for the drive home. His beloved Hi-5 CD can once again be played loud and clear in the car and we can both sing and dance along with the 5 very talented boys and girls of Hi-5. "Hide your eyes, and count to 10... ready or not... I'm gonna find you again and again and again and again..." and "Robot number 1, with a switch you turn me on..." (Hmmm..??) and "If I had to choose one colour... one colour just for me... I'd have to choose them all, choose them all you'll see..." and "Music makes me want to move with you..." and "If I had three wishes, what would they be? Three wishes... one, two, three... three wishes... would you give one to me?" Anyway... it's so cute seeing him dance to the songs! And try to sing along with them, too. Wayyy too cute...

Since my baby boy went to bed at 8:30 last night, (shocker of all shockers!) I was able to watch some television, so I watched Grey's Anatomy. I like this show. And I was shocked to see that Meredith was dead... or not? It sure looked that way to me... but I really, really, really do not think she is really dead. They just wouldn't do that. A main character just doesn't get killed of a show like that... we would have known about it already! So, next week, she'll be brought back to life... I think that scene of her with the 2 dead guys was her awakening, like, her 'near death' experience where she realizes it's not her time, so bye-bye... I did not like Izzie's long, rambling speech... spare me, who talks like that in a situation like that? Um, no one!

Also watched The Office, of course. Always makes me laugh, what a great, great show. I just want Pam and Jim together, please. Enough is enough! I really can't take it anymore!

And... I saw half of The O.C. Not bad. As if, though, after a major earthquake hits L.A. a hospital will have time to examine and give an x-ray to a freaking BUNNY rabbit... that part just totally sucked. Next week is the SERIES finale though, so maybe it will be worth watching. It's always sad to see a show end. This was the replacement show for 90210 although not nearly as good.

7 books I love: The Other Bolyen Girl, The Glass Castle, Baby Is a Four Letter Word, The Way The Crow Flies, The Alchemist, The Kite Runner, Prep.

6 songs I love: The Way You Look Tonight (Frank Sinatra), Hotel California (Eagles), What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) At Last (Etta James), It Had To Be You (Harry Connick Jr.) and anything rap, hip-hop... damn this is a hard one... way too many to list!

5 TV shows I love: The Amazing Race, The Office, South Park, American Idol, Deserpate Housewives.

1. I went to WW last night - and drove my sister's car there - a Golf, with a working radio! I was in heaven, driving my beloved Golf again (well, not mine, but you know what I mean!) listening to music! It was awesome - not to mention it was a standard... oh, how I miss the shift stick! And now the amazing news - I lost 4.5 pounds! YES! YES! YES! YES! I am getting somewhere, people! My end goal still seems so far away, though.... but I am still very happy!

2. My baby went to bed at 8:30 p.m. last night... I was actually upset, to be honest - I enjoy his company until 10 p.m. but I guess he was super tired and just crashed after his bath and milk. Which allowed me to watch some T.V., which was actually nice for a change!

'This too shall pass' - I swear this has been repeated by me too many times to count since I gave birth to my wonderful baby boy. And I said it last night, during Christos's bathtime, when he started filling up his little bath buckets with water, and proceeded to dump the water on the floor, on the walls, and all over his mommy. I calmly told him 'no, sweetie, pour the water back in the tub, or here - in mommy's hands!' and he did that for a while, but he's not one to be tricked, so he went back to pouring buckets of water on the walls, on the floor, and all over his mommy again. This has been going on for a few days now... and I know - 'this too shall pass'. And maybe I should have been more insistant with saying 'no', perhaps even going as far as to take him out of the bath, but I just couldn't help but laugh and smile along with my little guy because he was having a blast, laughing, splashing, being a perfect 18 month old baby boy. And so what if we need to put new tile's in the bathroom, have a flood which will ruin our dining room table downstairs, and have to re-paint the bathroom walls? Everything is about Christos. And I love it. Getting soaked and all. (**Hoping tonight he doesn't throw water on mommy, though, because I did just get my hair blow-dryed over lunch!)

He is trying to say I love you. It's so cute to hear him trying... "I loooo uuuu" it sounds like, but I know exactly what he is trying to say... he says it usually after I say it to him. Can I just say, again, how amazed I am everyday? He takes my breath away. In everything he does. I melt in a puddle when he takes my hand to bring me where he wants me to go, or just takes my hand to walk with him. There really are no words to describe the feeling...

And he's beginning to really love colouring. It's amazing, I tell him to draw something, and he does... well, it doesn't quite look like what I tell him to draw, but in his scribbles, I can see it! "Christos, draw a snake" "Ewww!" he goes, and proceeds to draw a snake... "Christos, draw a clock!" I say, and he looks up at our clock with such concentration, then back down to his paper, and scribbles away. It's so adorable. I am not throwing out anything he creates! Such beautiful little works of art.

When you read a story like this, it makes you appreciate our freedom in this country, and in the United States. Imagine not being able to write your thoughts and opinions, and imagine being a target just for being honest?

Bloggers transform political, social dialogue in Mideast — at their peril

CAIRO, Egypt — Wael Abbas hasn’t been arrested by Egyptian police, but the blogger fears it could happen any day.A democracy activist who never leaves home without a camera, he has drawn the attention of state security by posting videos that show what many Egyptians only talk about behind closed doors — police brutality and male harassment of women on the street, such as fondling.Abbas is just part of a wave of Middle Eastern bloggers who are eroding tight government control on information and thus drawing intense scrutiny from police.Egyptian authorities arrested a string of prominent bloggers last year, including one who remains jailed and is on trial for allegedly defaming Islam by posting criticism of Islamic institutions on his Arabic-language blog.“I might be next,” Abbas said at a Cairo coffee shop. He said his family has received anonymous phone calls asking about him, which he suspects come from state security.“I think there is a campaign against the bloggers here,” he said. “We are exposing what all Egyptians know but weren’t talking about.”Mideast governments for decades have dominated the media, trying to keep a monopoly on information and deter criticism of authorities. But bloggers are chipping away, writing about everything from human rights to the region’s rulers to the most taboo topic — Islam.Weblogs — or blogs for short — started taking off in the Mideast a few years ago as access to the Internet and technology for creating sites grew. There are now hundreds of Arabic- and Farsi-language blogs posted from the Middle East.Many of the blogs are just personal musings. But many others strive to tackle political and social issues, and their authors are increasingly getting into trouble, with governments blocking their sites and throwing them in jail.“I firmly believe that blogs now with normal people using them have become the fifth estate. They watch the watchers, especially in this area of the world, because there are no controls over them,” said Mahmood al-Yousif, a Bahraini blogger.Al-Yousif said his blog was blocked by authorities briefly last year after he published articles about an election-related scandal on the Persian Gulf island kingdom.Reporters Without Borders has five Mideast countries — Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Syria — on its list of the globe’s 13 worst Internet freedom enemies that block websites and detain bloggers.Governments defend their web regulations, saying they are protecting citizens from “immoral” and “defamatory” content. But rights groups and bloggers say officials are really trying to retain their media control.“Five years ago, authorities didn’t care about bloggers because the Internet’s reach was less,” said Julien Pain, head of Reporters Without Borders’ Internet Freedom Desk. “Now, what is most interesting is the Weblogs in the local languages. You look at what the authorities censor — they censor content in local languages.”Rights groups have been especially critical of Iran, where there have been some arrests of bloggers. Iran has also blocked some Web sites critical of the government — even shutting down access to the video-sharing forum YouTube.com, where Iranian opposition groups abroad have posted videos.Hamed Mottaghi, an Iranian freelance journalist, blogs in Farsi about human rights from the Iranian holy city of Qom. But Iranians can’t view his website inside the country — authorities blocked it last year.That hasn’t stopped Mottaghi. He and another Iranian blogger recently won awards from Reporters Without Borders for taking strong stances on freedom of information.“The number of bloggers is increasing in Iran since people cannot express themselves easily in the society, which lacks freedom. Young people especially are looking for a different place to open dialogue,” Mottaghi said.But some say the jury is still out on whether online opposition will transform into social and democratic reform in the Middle East. Though the number of Internet users has grown nearly fivefold since 2000, only about 10 per cent of the region’s people have access to the Internet, according to the online Internet World Stats, which monitors web usage around the world.A mass pro-democracy movement has not emerged, said Jesse Sage, of the U.S.-based civil rights organization Hands Across the Middle East Support Alliance, which has worked with activists including bloggers in the region.“Blogging is about venting, and the challenge is whether we can move from venting to acting, and that remains to be seen,” Sage said.But Saudi Arabian blogger Ahmed al-Omran, a pharmacy student who runs one blog in English and another in Arabic, believes the blog movement will make a difference.“It’s a good chance now for bloggers here,” he said. “Saudi Arabia is changing, and the margin for freedom of expression is getting bigger and bloggers are taking advantage of this.”

You have got to be kidding me. I have read some pretty stupid stories, but this one just takes the cake. For today, anyway. I mean, really? Who could possibly need a course on washing their hands? My 18 month old can already wash his hands, and dry them on the towel, thank you very much. What a waste of money! Yet again!

Health Authority Offering Hand-Washing Courses

The Vancouver Island Health Authority is offering hand-washing courses to hospital health-care workers and community-care facilities staff.The 130-thousand dollar program will hire seven full-time educators for a two month period.Some employees are questioning why the cash-strapped health authority is spending money teaching people how to wash their hands.

I couldn't go to WW to get weighed... sigh... which means I couldn't have my cheat night... double sigh... I had no one to watch Christos and I wasn't going to take him out in the sub-human freezing temperatures just so I could see how many pounds I lost this week. Hopefully I'll go tonight... and if not, Friday for sure.

When I got home yesterday I was so happily surprised to see a dozen red roses in a beautiful vase waiting for me, along with a beautiful card from my hubby, and a card from my son... and a card for my son from my hubby... it was all very sweet and made my night that much more special. Baby and I played, cuddled, read, and by 10 p.m., when he fell asleep, I was ready to call it a night too... but I had to stay up to watch AI since I couldn't really watch it when baby was awake. I guess they did a good job picking the 24 finalists... will be fun to watch next week!

Okay, so it's an amzing blogging world out there, I have discovered. And I have to say, coming across this blog: www.girlsgonechild.blogspot.com made me very happy! The mom behind the blog, Rebecca Woolf, is an author whose work has appeared on babycentre.com (another favourite website of mine), Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, and has been quoted in Time Magazine. Plus, her blog - it's just soooo worth a read, you guys! Mom or not, I guarantee you'll love it. It's so refreshing, really, to have this connection to people I don't even know. Being a parant allows that, I think, this common bond, an understanding, a secret little society that you can't be part of until well, you've become a parent. I think combined with the fact that I love to read and I love to write, this is a really fun new world for me. And thank goodness there are a lot of great blogs out there to keep an otherwise boring workday go by so much faster. I love creative outlets, and I'm just happy I discovered these great blogs. So take a minute and check out the blog I mentioned. You'll love it! (AND guess what... I emailed Rebecca... and she emailed me back!) WOOHOO!

Just how much I know about food and cooking. In my previous post I was talking about cooking some sweet potatoes for Christos's dinner, and I went on to say: "with veggies, of course!" Um, Loukia. Sweet potatoe is a vegetable. I'm so clueless.

My husband has to work until 11 p.m. for the next two months...and let me just say... it's tough without the extra help around the house! I am more then excited to be spending so much quality time with my little guy, but at around 5:30 when I was trying to get dinner ready last night and Christos was clinging to my legs, asking to be picked up, I realized... 'wow, it's way harder doing this alone!' First off.... I'm a lost cause in the kitchen. I was only trying to peel and cut up a sweet potatoe to make my son his dinner (along with veggies, of course, and some homemade soup my mother-in-law made earlier in the day) and it was nearly impossible! Is it just me, or are sweet potatoes just really, really hard to cut? And I was using a really expensive Henkels knife, too. Anyway. So I was cooking the sweet potatoe fries with my little guy in my arms. Not very safe, but I had no choice. After dinner and bath time, my mom and sister came over. Thank goodness - they are such a big help! That left me with some time to clean up the kitchen, pick up the family room, make the beds, change, and continue playing with my baby until his bedtime of 10 p.m. when I had to (yet again) clean up the kitchen, pick up the family room, tidy the basement, get showered and ready for bed... phew! Exhausted! But worth it.

Tonight I have to go get weighed at WW. I'm not looking forward to it! I don't think I had a very good week, and don't think I lost any weight. I'm hoping I did, though. The last time I was with WW I would take off all my jewellery in hopes that I would weigh less. I'm not going to bother doing that this time around. I'm sure a few pieces of jewellery are not going to change the number on the scale! If I lost weight... maybe I'll indulge in chocolate tonight. Or pizza. Or both! I think it's good to have a cheat day once in a while... to keep my sanity! Keep your fingers crossed for me...

I will probably be booted off in mere moments, so I have to keep this short... hope you're all having a smashing day! Can the weather get any worse? I hate it! What a long and horrible drive in this morning... stuck in traffic that didn't seem to move at all... had no gas... had no time for Starbucks, and was going to the eye doctor's. What a morning! ON TOP OF IT ALL - the radio in my car wasNOT working. I was going insane! It's been 2 days with no music, no news, no nothing. I was straining my ears to hear the sounds from the cars beside me. I was stuck drinking coffee I had to buy at the gas station. But my day brightened up when I popped in to visit Christos and my mom at his playgroup. He was way too cute, playing with the other kids, and sitting down in his little chair for snack time. I melted!

Anyway. Anyone watch AI last night? Jory Steinberg was kicked off! There goes Ottawa's chance at having the next American Idol be a Canadian! And I was sad to see Bailey go... she had a great voice with looks to match. I think the judges were really harsh last night!

Something that bugs me - bikers. Not the motorcycle kind, the regular bicycle riders. Can you please give it up? It's the middle of February! I mean, seriously? How many near accidents have I been in because of biker's stupidity? How about last night, while driving home, I was cut off by 2 bikers who were riding side by side on Queen Street at 4 p.m., going so slow my car wasn't going more then 10 km/h... thus making me get stuck at a red light... while they continued to pedal through the red light? I mean, if you want to think you're driving a car, at least obey the freaking traffic rules, okay? They really bug me. Grrr.....

It's Valentine's Day! So what... I love my loved ones everyday. But I did buy my hubby a card and Christos also gave one to his daddy.

I'm beginning to think that Larry guy is really Anna's baby's father. I am having my doubt about Howard. Don't think Anna's mom should have any say over that baby, though. Sad situation.Okay... hoping this post will go through!

Seriously... some may say we've had it good this winter, but I disagree... I am sick of feeling cold all the time! I'm sick of the snow, I'm sick of coats, gloves, hats, and scarves... I'm tired of winter! I never like it. I don't find anything about it enjoyable. Bring on the hot weather already! Thank goodness it's already almost March... spring is just around the corner... but not before a few more snowstorms, like this one that is set to hit Ontario tonight:

Winter Storm Set To Lash Ontario

A winter storm is expected to hit parts of Ontario starting late tonight.The Capital Region won't be the hardest hit but you can expect a fair bit of snow will be dumped on the Capital.Officials with Environment Canada say between midnight and 6 o'clock tomorrow morning about two centimetres of snow should hit the ground.The Ottawa region is expected to escape the worst of the storm, which could drop up to 50 centimetres of snow in the Hamilton area.

Well as you all know I'm totally new in this blogging world, and since I love to write about completely useless things all day long, it's a perfect outlet for my rambling thoughts, views, opinions, and information. I am thankful that I have some cool co-workers who have some cool blogs where I find out about even more blogs... (I'll just say co-workers instead of old co-workers because that sounds funny and I'm hoping I'll get to work with them again soon!) Anyway... Dani's blog is awesome. She's a super mom to 2 boys and through her blog I found this blog, and I have to say, it's pretty damn funny! It's about, well, being a mom, but others things, too. Anything with the word 'mom' in it, I'm all over. I love reading other mom's views on being a mom. And this lady is cool! It's such a funny, well written blog. (Just like Dani's!) Anyway... here it is: even if you're not a mom, you'll find it really funny!

How much longer am I suppose to defend you and stick up for you? I don't think I can much longer! You are a mother to two little boys, you really should try staying in one night and putting your kids to bed yourself - give the nanny a night off, for once! I understand it must have been tough being pregnant back-to-back, but I am sure you had a lot of help and support. And fine and dandy that you needed to get out again, to check out the music scene, since you're planning on putting a new record out... but I think you need to stay home for a while. Clear your head. Enjoy being a mom. And get yourself on the cover of Vanity Fair with your babies, along with a nice article about the past year of your life. This will help you.

Here is the story from www.people.com that goes along with this icky picture: When Britney Spears regrets her choice of outfit, she knows how to improvise. The singer, 25, who has been making the social rounds in New York City this month, arrived with a group of girlfriends at the downtown hot spot ONE on Sunday night wearing a micro-mini red dress. "But she was complaining that she didn't like it and wanted to change," a source tells PEOPLE. Lucky for her, Sunday nights at ONE feature go-go dancers clad in fishnets and bikinis. "So she called the dancers over to talk to them, she said, because she really liked those fishnet stockings," the source says. The flattered dancers brought Spears downstairs to their dressing room to try on some of their outfits. A few minutes later, "Britney came upstairs in a dancer bikini and a white busboy jacket. And that's what she walked out wearing." Although Spears sipped champagne at the club, her evening was relatively mellow, says the source. "She just hung out with these two dancers all night and kind of befriended them. She was trying on all their outfits and left in a bikini and fishnets. That's it." The New York Post's Page Six also reported the story, and said reps for Spears did not return calls for comment.

When I was pregnant, I remember thinking that I was in no way going to go through labour. I wanted, and was determined to get, a c-section to delivery my child. I didn't want to go through what I thought at time was going to be a painful labour, to have to suffer with stitches, pain, and more. Plus, my mom had 2 c-sections by choice and she was up and about within days of both of them. She loved them, had no complications, barely a scar, and told me it was a great decision on her part. As I neared my delivery date, I spoke to my Ob/Gyn about this, and she asked me why I'd want to have a c-section, how it was a major surgery, and I'd be better off just trying to go through natural labour. She said the decision, in the end, was up to me - to go to the hospital and if I changed my mind, she's authorize a c-section. I was induced, so that she could delivery my baby before she left for Greece. (Just days before my real due date). Anyway, to make a long story short, labour was everything I didn't think it woud be - it was absolutely a wonderful, beautiful experience, and I can't believe I even entertained the idea of having a c-section! I was in barely any pain - I made it to 7 cm before asking for my epidural. Yes, that part was yucky but in a few minutes, I was numb and therefore, very happy. Then it was time for my baby to make his entrance into the world! With my husband and sister (who were both in the room with me) laughing and joking with me, my baby came out, eyes open, cute as can be, and I was like, "Wow... that was not bad at all!" To put things in perspective - it hurts way more to get a brazilian. I recovered very quickly. I breastfed easily, thank God - I can only hope it's easy for my next baby, too. I ate chicken fingers and fries that night, while my baby slept beside my husband and I. I was a happy camper! (Not aware of the fact that I wouldn't sleep for days, and weeks due to my 'new mommy worry' and constant feeding, but that's another story altogether!) And so... I thought I'd share this article with you all, in case any of you were thinking of avoiding labour and getting a c-section. I don't recommend it! However, the decision is yours to make.

Women who have a planned caesarean section suffer more than three times the number of cardiac arrests, blood clots and major infections as those who deliver vaginally, new Canadian research reveals.The study, based on nearly 2.4 million deliveries over a 14-year period, comes as more women are demanding, and getting, a C-section without a clear medical reason to justify one.Part of the reason is "the widespread perception that the procedure is of little or no risk to healthy women," a cross-Canada team of researchers reports today in the country's top medical journal."Indeed, a belief has become widespread that the risks of caesarean delivery for healthy women are so low as to make it a reasonable elective option for childbirth."Yet, the new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found women who had a planned caesarean were five times more likely to have a postpartum cardiac arrest.Their rates of wound infections were also five times higher. The C-section group also had three times the number of major post-delivery infections and they were twice as likely to have anesthetic complications, blood clots or a hemorrhage requiring hysterectomy. They also stayed in hospital an average 1.5 days longer.In absolute numbers, the risks were low. For example, the risk of cardiac arrest in the caesarean group was 1.9 per cent, versus 0.4 per cent in the vaginal delivery group.There was no significant difference in the rates of in-hospital maternal deaths."Regardless of how people give birth, childbirth in Canada is a very safe enterprise," said Dr. Robert Liston, professor and head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of British Columbia."This information tell us, yes, caesarean section is safe, but it's not as safe as a planned vaginal delivery. The likelihood of death or something really horrible happening is very small, but it's more likely to happen if you have a caesarean section than if you go for planned vaginal delivery."In 1969, Canada's C-section rate was 5.2 per cent of all pregnancies. In 2003, nearly 26 per cent of babies entered the world through an incision in their mother's bellies.The surgical birth rate has been climbing despite no evidence of any increase in obstetric emergencies that would warrant a C-section, according to researchers."Doctors hear, 'I'm healthy, I know the pregnancy is entirely normal but I'm worried about labour, I'm scared about labour, I'm scared for my baby, therefore I want a caesarean section," Dr. Liston, who was one of the authors of the new study, says."I think the majority of women still focus on normal labour and birth as the ideal, but I think practitioners would agree with me that in Canada there is an increase in the number of people who are requesting a C-section just on the basis of choice."The safety of caesareans has improved so dramatically that "many people believe it's just like having your toenails cut," Dr. Liston said."The message I would like to get across is that it's not like having your toenails cut. It does carry a risk. The risk may be small, but it's still there."The study looked at all deliveries that took place in an acute care hospital from April 1, 1991, through to March 31, 2005 (complete information was not available for Manitoba or Quebec.) Complication rates were compared between 46,766 healthy women who had a non-urgent C-section for a breech baby and 2,292,420 women planning a vaginal birth.Because there's no code for an elective C-section "on demand," the team used caesareans performed for breech, or feet-first births as a "surrogate" for low-risk caesareans.

I was reading Sara's blog a few minutes ago (an old co-worker) and her post made me cry. She wrote about this young mother in Toronto (32 years old) who had a 19 month old son and a newborn daughter when she discovered she had breast cancer. Sara, I hope you don't mind but I wanted to post the articles here, as well, for people to read and pray for her family. It's one of the saddest stories I've ever read and it will haunt me, I'm sure. I can't imagine her pain, her fear... such a brave woman, to go through what she did with 2 young children and a husband, to know she would never see her kids grow up, to have to stay strong and put on a brave face for her family while fighting her disease. The articles are sad, so make sure you have a tissue handy when you read them.

Well, we lost our volleyball game again last night. We tried hard, and played well (for the most part!) Damn those low ceilings! Mary was kicking butt last night, so yay Mary! And maybe next week... we'll actually win a game? We have improved, so that's good! And it was really fun(ny) last night too! Good times, good times....

Anyone doing anything special for V-Day? My husband will be working until 11 so my baby boy and I will celebrate together, eat chocolate, and snuggle. Then hubby and I will go out on the weekend... dinner, movie, who knows? What about you guys?

I wish the title could have been triple X! But anyway. I failed my oral part of my French test. Surprise, surprise.... I wasn't being tested for the job I am currenlty in, but for a communications position with Health Canada. Some communications director over there got a hold of my resume and met with me and wanted to give me a job on the spot, and then the dreaded: "So how well are you in French?" question came up and I said: "Not good." He said: "Not to worry, I'll arrange to have you tested ASAP and even if you fail, we'll think of a plan B." So, I got an A level on the reading part - which, in the government is actually NOT a good thing - and an X for the writing part and an X for the oral part. So, we'll see what plan B is. It would be fun working there, but we'll see! So there ya go. I'd rather not leave CRA since I've been here for so long. Anyway... I feel sorry for the girl who gave me my oral test, I clearly had no idea what she was saying to me, yet I tried to answer. A lot of "Je ne pas comprand" came out of my mouth. Don't even know if I spelled that right or not. I hate being forced to learn another language. I mean, I already know 2 languages. And yes, I do think it's amazing to speak more then 2 languages, but being forced to learn a language in order to work seems pretty silly to me. Especially since for the most part - you'll never even use it! Sigh.

Will tonight be the night we finally win? I doubt it! I think I have given up hope, but that doesn't mean I won't play as good as I can. Which isn't saying a lot...but anyway! Good times, that's all it's about, really. It's my only form of exercise, not counting burning all those calories carrying my 30 pound toddler around, up and down the stairs, through the malls, while navigating a stroller and several bags, putting him in and out of the car seat, cooking with him in my arms (I don't recommend this!) and running around after him playing. So! I say we will come close to winning... but not actually winning. But I'll be more then happy to report back here tomorrow with results either way. I'd love to say we WON! We just might. Here's hoping, volleyball vixens!

Basically, Jessica Simpson has my dream hair and lucky enough for me I don't need extensions to get her look since I was born with thick, curly hair that I'm not the biggest fan of, hence the reason I get it blow dryed so often - I like it better straight! I have a good hairdresser who has been doing my hair weekly since I was about 16 years old. He's a teasing master. Teasing is the trick to get such great volume! Big, loose curls and lots of height and volume, I just love it! And I'm thinking of going lighter this summer, too, like this picture of Jessica. But we'll see, since roots are evil. But maybe for fun I'll do it just for the summer then go back to darker blonde. I really miss the summer. I have been continuously cold for far too long. Enough already! I'm sick of coats!

Here is a new pic of the happy couple from the last night's Grammy's. Was kind of a boring awards show, but some good performances from the few minutes I was able to watch. I still don't know what my feelings are about Jessica and John. I wonder who has the more honest relationship, the one that will last longer - Jess and John, and Vanessa and Nick?

I love the weekend so much more now, since becoming a mom, and going back to work. It really means someting to have 2 entire days off to spend with my child, waking up beside him, feeding him all his meals, playing with him non-stop, laughing, giggling, running around, going out, exploring, reading, and falling more and more in love. I hate coming in to work on Monday! I just don't look forward to getting in an elevator with complete strangers and getting off on the 21st floor to do work when I could be at home dancing with my Christos. Needless to say, we had a wonderful weekend. I'm continuously amazed at the things my son does, how smart he is, how very organized he is, and how is testing his boundaries now. Not to mention the flurry of new words he says (or tries to say!) every day. I think I'd have to say 18 months is the most fascinating age! (I happen to have said the same thing at almost every age up to 18 months so far, but I truly think this age is just something special!)

WOOHOO! A new SHOPAHOLIC BOOK! And totally a topic I want to read about! I think it comes out February 27th. Can I just say when I first laid eyes on the first Shopaholic book, and read it, I was overcome with emotion at the fact that someone had written a book about shopping, and in such a funny way, too? I mean, I really related with her. It was a great, fun book. And now I can't wait for this book!

Since I'm in the de-cluttering mood, I thought I'd talk about this new book I just found on www.chapters.indigo.ca called "It's All To Much: An Easy Plan for Living A Richer Life With Less Stuff", By Peter Walsh. Here's a summary!

When you think of what it will take to clean your house, are you so overwhelmed you throw up your hands and cry, "It''s all too much"? Do you dream of having a closet where your clothes aren''t crammed in so tightly that you can actually get to them? Is your basement filled with boxes of precious family mementos you haven''t opened in ten years but are too afraid to toss? Are your kitchen counters overrun with appliances you''ve never used? Do your kids play in the living room because there''s no room left in their playroom? If somewhere along the way you''ve simply lost the ability to keep your home organized and clutter-free, then It''s All Too Much has the solution you''ve been searching for.

I am so adament about checking expiration dates on foods and beverages I buy, especially with my son's food and formula. While he doesn't eat a lot of baby foods out of a jar anymore, I still give him fruit and sometimes a veggie mix from the baby jars. And he still takes some formula with his milk. Anyway, several times we purchased formula from Shoppers Drug Mart and upon returning home, realizing the expiration date had in fact expired! Of course we brought the cans back to Shoppers and the manager promised it would never happen again, and gave us a free case of formula, but that's not really the point - what if other parents didn't look at the expiration date and had a much younger baby at home? Not good at all. The same thing happened to us a few weeks later. At the same Shoppers. Just a reminder - check the dates, especially if you have a baby. Here's a related story from the States.

SEATTLE -- Outdated baby formula on local grocery store shelves -- it's not supposed to be there, but our KIRO 7 Consumer investigators found it.Baby food and baby formula are the only foods required by the FDA to have a "use by" date printed on the cans and jars.When that date comes and goes, that food and formula is supposed to be pulled.But we found outdated food and formula still on the shelves -- and still for sale.We took our hidden camera inside local grocery stores.We found that of the 29 grocery stores, drug stores and other retailers, nine had baby formula on the shelves that was past the "use-by" date.We found a can of powdered formula with a use-by date read August 2006. But it was still for sale in early January when we bought it.We also found a jar of baby food bought just two weeks ago. The use by date almost one year old: March, 2006.Some local moms we spoke to are outraged -- concerned that they haven't checked the dates, worried what they might be feeding their babies."I'd be concerned with the grocery store, too, that wouldn't be checking that, and keeping it out on the aisles for people to purchase."In many families, infant formula is the sole source of nutrition for the baby.And if it's expired, the baby isn't getting what he or she needs."The real problem if a baby gets enough of an inadequate formula is they are not going to grow well and it can affect overall health."Melissa Mortensen says over time, the nutrients and vitamins in the formula degrade.The amount of nutrients like zinc, calcium and protein listed on the label is not what the baby is getting."Powdered infant formula is not sterile, and we worry that microorganisms might get a chance to grow beyond what a young immune system could fight off," Mortensen said.And while busy parents, toting a fussing child throughout the store, maybe tempted to just grab a can of formula and dash to the check out stand, it's often worth a quick look to check the date on the bottom of the can."If I had thought about checking the expiration date, I actually would probably let them know I'd take it up to the front and say did you know this had expired."So who is responsible for pulling the outdated formula from store shelves?Ultimately, it's you, the parent. Because none of the agencies involved are watching.If parents do buy formula that is outdated, they can always return it to the grocery store where they bought it.

I went from living at home with my parents and sister to moving in with my husband. I never spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and when I got married, I was excited to have my own house and to start becoming domesticated! The first time I went grocery shopping with my husband, I saw him reaching for the brown eggs. I freaked out and said to him: "Honey, I don't eat whole wheat eggs!" And he gave me a look that was similar to Nick Lachey's when Jessica asked: "Is this chicken, what I'm eating? Or is it tuna? The box says 'chicken of the sea.'" So that was my Jessica Simpson moment. I have had many others, but this one, I think, tops my list of dumbest things I've ever said. (My husband kindly explained to me that the brown eggs, were not, in fact, whole wheat).

I'm not a bit animal lover, but my son is, so I take him for visits to the pet stores frequently and pray to God he won't ever ask Santa for a dog. I can handle a bunny or a fish.

I'm a Virgo.

I love designer purses.

I wish all the children in the world were loved and healthy.

I would love to adopt an orphan from Romania.

I am thankful I live in Ottawa.

My husband and I are high school sweethearts.

I worry all the time. All the time, about everything.

I love to eat.

Which makes it hard to diet.

I use to play the violin and the guitar.

I took dance classes for many years.

I wanted to be an actress.

I hate math!

I've gotten in a few car accidents.

I love my son more then anything in the world and words can't describe the joy he brings me.

I'm so thankful I have a great family and I'm thankful for all the help and support we get from our families.

I love tzatziki and pita bread. There are like only 2 Greek restaurants in Ottawa.

I hate winter.

I love summer.

I love to swim in the ocean and in swimming pools.

Luckily my in-law have a pool.

I know almost all the names of the Thomas the train characters.

I fast-tracked the broadcast journalism program at Loyalist in Belleville. I hated Belleville.

Luckily my friend Marcie was there to go through it with me. (And to make my breakfast and lunch and get me out of bed in time!)

I am glad Mary was with me in D.C. for my internship. We shopped and enjoyed the good food a lot. Her roommate thought I was a bit weird.

We almost got kidnapped when we got in a car with a strange woman one night when we got lost in D.C. Thankfully, she did not kill us.

I almost got kidnapped one day when I was waiting for the bus in D.C. by a man in an orange pick-up truck. He kept telling me to get in the car, and when I refused he drove away and he came back and asked again. I was scared I couldn't even move.

Some strange man played with my hair on the Subway in NYC at 4 a.m. on the way to our friends house. Once again, too scared to move.

As a child, a dog attacked me and I have always been a bit scared of them since then. I even remember the sweater I was wearing that day, it was a birthday gift from Zafy and had 3 bears on it, sitting on blocks.

I was a great big sister to my little sister. Still am. And she is a great aunt to my baby, visits everyday.

I love entertainment.

I love news.

I am scared of flying. No matter how many times I fly, I still can't believe we are not going to fall out of the sky. I also cannot understand how turbulance is 'nothing to worry about'.

I eat all the food they give me on an airplane in case we crash and I have to tread water for days. I'll need those extra calories to keep me going.

I like to write.

I would love to write a book one day. On parenting and pregnancy.

I want another baby. Not yet, though!

I am sad more friends have not left me comments on my blog.

I see my mom everyday.

I like watching Amazing Race, The Office, American Idol, American's Next Top Model, CSI Miami, CNN.

I admire my sister and her close group of friends. Those girls rock!

I also admire my mom and grandmother for all the work they do and the love they give. There are no women like them.

My dad is a funny guy who makes me laugh. I love seeing him with my baby.

I have a little heart tattoo and a belly button ring.

I love red wine. With Italian food.

I love pizza.

I love debates and am really passionate about my views on things.

It bugs me when others aren't really passionate about anything.

Or when people don't keep up with current events.

My son is named after my father-in-law. If we have another boy, he'll be named after my dad, if we have a girl, after my mom.

I have such wonderful childhood memories.

I hope to provide the same for my children.

I am so glad one of my best friend's (Suz) was pregnant at the same time I was. Thank GOD I had someone to talk to about what I was going through! She was my biggest support, and I loved seeing our kids together!